October 1, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Trump signs defense spending plan, with one more swipe at Democrats

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump finalized an $854 billion spending bill on Friday that fully funds the military for fiscal 2019 and prevents a government shutdown next week, accomplishments that congressional leaders have called important and laudable.

But Trump's signature came with one final attack on Democrats over the spending measure, lamenting lawmakers' decision not to include extra money in the appropriations package for his planned wall along the southern U.S. border.

“Unfortunately, the radical Democrats refuse to support border security and want drugs and crime to pour into our country,” he said in a statement after signing the bill.

The comments came just a week after Trump took to social media to blast “this ridiculous Spending Bill,” raising fears of a presidential veto on Capitol Hill. Instead, Trump largely praised the measure on Friday, calling it “important legislation to rebuild our military” and promote other domestic priorities.

The appropriations measure includes $674 billion in defense funding for fiscal 2019, and marks the first time in a decade Congress has finalized the spending measure before the start of the new fiscal year.

The measure funds a 2.6 percent pay raise for troops starting next January and a boost in military end strength of 16,400 spread across the active-duty and reserve forces.

Trump, in his statement, praised the measure for including “93 new F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters, 142 Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and 13 Navy battle force ships — made right here in the USA.”

In a statement after the signing, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, praised the president for pushing for the funding increases in his budget request and past public statements.

“By funding our military in full and on time, we can begin to restore its strength, agility, and effectiveness,” he said. “As I have said before, the task before us now is to make full, on time funding of our military the rule in Washington, and not the exception.”

The spending bill also includes full-year funding for the departments of Health and Human Services, Education and Labor, as well as bridge funding for a handful of other government agencies to keep them operational through Dec. 7.

Last week, Trump signed into law a separate package that included full-year funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and for military construction projects.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/28/trump-signs-spending-plan-avoiding-shutdown

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June 14, 2019 | International, Aerospace

Boeing to Build MH-47G Block II Chinooks for Special Ops
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., June 13, 2019 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] will build next-generation MH-47G Chinooks for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. The Block II configuration will enhance the Army's ability to safely carry out the most challenging missions around the world. The $194 million contract is for a second lot of MH-47G Block II aircraft, to be delivered starting in 2021. Block II Chinooks feature technological advancements to extend the fleet's service life and enhance performance. “The MH-47G is the world's best, most reliable heavy-lift helicopter and will help Special Operations execute their difficult missions,” said Chuck Dabundo, vice president and MH-47 program manager. “Nearly a quarter of the Special Ops fleet is now on contract for Block II, and we look forward to delivering this capability to them on schedule.” The Army has a large number of MH-47G Chinook helicopters. Boeing is now on contract for a total of 15 MH-47G Block II Chinooks. The first MH-47G Block II aircraft is scheduled to begin final assembly this year. https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-06-13-Boeing-to-Build-MH-47G-Block-II-Chinooks-for-Special-Ops
December 17, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Modernization top priority in FY20 budget, Pentagon’s No. 2 official says
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — As the Trump administration and Congress deliberate the Defense Department's top-line budget for fiscal 2020, safeguarding the military's weapons programs and funding technology development is taking precedence over growing the force, the Pentagon's No. 2 official said Thursday. “At the end of the day, the national defense strategy puts a priority on modernization,” Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters Dec. 13. “The trick then becomes, when you talk about force structure, how much risk do you take given the world's environment?” Shanahan's comments come at a time of back-and-forth between President Donald Trump, Defense Department leadership and Congress about the size of the FY20 defense budget. Pentagon budget makers had been planning for a $733 billion budget request — a modest increase over the $716 billion budget for FY19 — when Trump announced in October that the Defense Department's budget would instead be cut to $700 billion. The move surprised many, as Trump had frequently touted his administration's efforts to grow the size of the military and invest in new defense technology. The announcement raised questions about what the Pentagon would have to cut in order to meet the lower number, but it appears that those concerns may have been premature. Earlier this week, Politico and other outlets reported that congressional Republicans and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had convinced Trump to raise the top line to $750 billion. Shanahan on Thursday downplayed the reports, saying that a final top line had yet to be determined. "We're looking at numbers above $733 [billion], and as you know, we looked at numbers below $733 [billion]. I think everybody recognizes that this is a discussion that will go on in terms of what is the right number. The process we have is very robust,” he said. No matter what the top line ends up looking like, the goal will be “anchor[ing] line items to the National Defense Strategy. That's the rigor we put in place,” he added. With a top line above $733 billion, it's possible the Defense Department will be able to grow both its modernization accounts as well as funding for improving readiness and increasing force structure. But Shanahan, who spoke at a National Defense Industrial Association event on hypersonics on Thursday, tried to quell defense contractors' concerns that funding for hypersonic technologies, and science and technology development in general, could suffer under a budget that rings in at $733 billion or below. Asked by one Lockheed Martin employee whether funding for hypersonics programs would remain reliable in light of budgetary fluctuations, Shanahan said his level of confidence was high it would. “We've prioritized amortization,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2018/12/14/modernization-top-priority-in-fy20-budget-pentagons-no-2-official-says/
April 26, 2018 | International, Aerospace

Airbus et Dassault développeront un avion de combat franco-allemand
Airbus et Dassault Aviation sont parvenus à un accord de principe autour du développement du futur avion de combat franco-allemand. Un futur avion de combat franco-allemand verra le jour. Airbus et Dassault Aviation ont annoncé mercredi 25 avril être parvenus à un accord de principe autour du développement du futur avion de combat franco-allemand, dont le principe avait été annoncé en juillet 2017 par Paris et Berlin. Airbus et Dassault ont "regroupé leurs forces pour le développement et la production du Système de combat aérien du futur européen (Scaf)" à l'horizon 2040, ont annoncé les deux groupes à l'occasion du salon aéronautique de Berlin (ILA). "C'est un accord de principe. Le premier message est de dire "oui, nous sommes prêts" pour le développement du Scaf", a déclaré le PDG de Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, lors d'une conférence de presse commune avec le patron d'Airbus Defense and Space, Dirk Hoke, dans la capitale allemande. "C'est un moment historique pour l'industrie" Play Video "Nous sommes prêts et nous disons à nos ministères de la Défense, à nos responsables politiques : nous sommes prêts, à présent allez-y", a-t-il ajouté. "C'est un moment historique pour l'industrie" aéronautique, a complété Dirk Hoke. "C'est un grand pas en avant pour développer les compétences en Europe et assurer la souveraineté européenne", a-t-il ajouté. Paris et Berlin devraient annoncer "une première étape significative" en vue du lancement de ce programme lors du salon, avait indiqué la ministre française Florence Parly, début avril. Les deux capitales se sont entendues l'été dernier pour "développer un système de combat aérien européen" destiné à remplacer à l'horizon 2040 leurs flottes actuelles d'avions de combat, le Rafale pour la France et l'Eurofighter Typhoon pour l'Allemagne. (Avec AFP) https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/airbus-et-dassault-developperont-un-avion-de-combat-franco-allemand_583065

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